Customer Reviews Hoka Mafate Speed 4

This would have been a great replacement for the 3 as these are faster shoe with a good roll forward, not as bulky meaning in the 3's you had to lift your foot up more on rocky trails, the cushioning was great. The downside for me and i see others is the toebox, the 3's were a little big but htese are just too small, they need anothe 2-3 mm and they would be my perfect ultra running shoe.

Almost the perfect trail shoe but it's too narrow for my wide feet and high arch.

Based on the reviews I got this shoe. My fav before was the Evo Speedgoat which was unfortunately discontinued then the Speedgoat and NB Fresh Foam more V2. The Mafate Speed has a great cushion, tread, and does well on the trails for me. My one issue is that some of these shoes are not designed to accommodate an insole and there is some play in the heel. The shoe is the right size, the heel just doesn't lock down the way I need it to. Overall great trail shoe and my #1 right now.

Love the vibram and feel of these shoes, fit is true to size. The only thing I am disappointed in is the usual, the release color choices were terrible. The dark orange overlay looks like a muddy mess. Definitely not as good looking as Speedgoat color schemes so far.

3

i purchased many Hoka shoes and styles this one looks great but the fit the feel was not on target

Not as comfortable as the Bondi 8 and 9 they have much more cushioning. Mark four has a good grip and fit wish it have more cushioning.

Really wanted to love this shoe. It's super light and comfy midsole on rough terrain which I normally run on. Wanted to use this shoe for ultramarathon racing, but alas, the narrow and pointed shape in the front of the shoes cause my outer toes to jam constantly against the shoe and was painful after just 13 miles of trail running. I tried sizing up, but the issue persisted. If you have pointed feet, they'll work great, but normal feet that splay and flex as you run just won't work with this shoe. Had to return them.

First off, huge ups to HOKA for getting me back into running after 15 years off with the original Stinson ATR. That shoe was a max-cushioned but nimble beast that felt right at home on the trails of the Colorado Front Range. I then graduated to the Speedgoat until they started feeling like monster trucks compared to other shoes in my closet. These days, I mainly run in shoes from another Annecy-based shoe brand. However, I enjoy the Tecton X2 a great deal so I decided to give HOKA another try for my daily trainers. Knowing the Speedgoat wasn't going to feel nimble enough, I decided to try the Mafate Speed 4. Maybe this would be the happy medium between the Speedgoat and the Tecton X2? Short answer: Nope. The Good: Vibram remains one of the best tread compounds out there. The Mafate's knobs work great in loose Spring soil, too. The cushion does lean to "soft" over "responsive," if that's what you're after. Plus, the Black/Gray/Purple/Green color is amazing to look at. The Bad: The upper just doesn't hold your foot reliably. Coupled with the big lugs, it's easy to roll the shoe on your foot in technical terrain. I modified the lacing to lock the heel better, but there was still some slippage there, too. I held my size 11 Mafate's against my Salomon Genesis shoes (which are very cushioned) and you'd think the Mafate's were size 13 or 14. They're clown shoes compared to the Genesis longer, wider, heavier, and far less nimble. At the end of the day, the Mafate Speed 4 just isn't for me. For now, I'll stick to the Tecton X2 and cross my fingers the Speedgoat 6 comes through in a big way.

These shoes are fine. I've bought MUCH less expensive shoes in the past and been as impressed with them. A little underwhelming...but otherwise pleased.

I don't like my purchase as much as my prior SpeedGoats.

I ordered a 10.5 shoe size. Shoes feel great under foot. I'm not sure if it's me but I feel like the heel flair is causing and issue with my right foot. It's hard to get my right foot locked in. I've only ran in the twice and both time I feel like my right ankle wants to roll inward. I'm a neutral running and I don't pronate. Anyone else have this issue? Hoka if I worn these shoes twice and ordered them in March and I exchange for a size 10. Thanks for reading and happy running!!

I cannot wear it and need to return it, unfortunately. Just too narrow to wear.

Didn't use it

I probably shouldn't be reviewing but this is the second pair I've had to send back because when I go to lace them up for the maiden voyage, the laces hole tears and renders the shoe useless. I really want to run in them. They look amazing. I guess I'm just striking out on this model and will stick to the Speedgoat

I own over 6 pairs of hokas...3 very new...last 2 pairs of trail sneakers were very tight

The rock collector on the heel is not super great almost necessitates the use of gators. The soles and tread are awesome. Seem to run a bit large and I was accustomed to going a half size up on earlier Mofate models. I went with my true size and found them to be almost too big , being more pronounced when wet. If you combine the attributes of the Tecton X with the Mofate speed 4 for the next shoe. A Tecton X with a real tongue that doesn't bite into the extensor tendons with shoelaces. Heel of the Texton X, and lacing pattern/ tongue and soles from the Mofate Speed 4. Maybe add your carbon plate, and bam, best shoe ever !

Shoes is stiff, not as comfortable

I have bought HUKA for years and the quality seems off. Not quite as good or fit changed.

Looks great, average comfort in my opinio

Generally these have a better fit and feel than speedgoat. I haven't had to use the heel lock lacing to feel secure in these on technical trails. Nonetheless, the material used in the upper continues to be a disappointment. Over the 6 weeks I've had these, I've noticed the same material fatigue in the upper (same as speedgoat), which requires tightening over time. The notable difference in this case is that one of the eyelets broke, thereby rendering these shoes useless. I continue to be disappointed with Hoka products, but keep buying them because the outsole pattern is designed very well. Once another manufacturer produces a good, grippy outsole with a reasonable upper, I'm gone for good.

I should've read the description more carefully! I purchased this shoe for a 6-day trek through the Marble Mountain Wilderness with challenging ascents and descents, and a rocky, narrow, often eroded trail. While these shoes had great cushioning and reasonable protection from the rocks, they provided **ZERO** lateral support, making for a sketching--at best--and treacherous--more often than expected--trail experience. Make no mistake, these are CITY shoes!! Maybe, smooth, level trails; but definitely not for mountain trails!

I normally run in Salomon shoes and felt thet the Mafate Speed 4 was less stable, as my akles were wanting to turn much more frequetly on the run. My toes also hurt att he end of my run, which I am not accustomed to. I tried to get a solid lockdown with the shoe laces, but no matter how tight I made them, nothing improved. When I tried to run in them on my next run, I felt immediate pains in my ankles and feet so I switched back to my Salomons and things were good once again.